TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 3
Vision 3
Goal 3
Objectives 3
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT 4
Management Commitment and Employee Involvement 4
Program Review and Evaluation 5
Responsibilities 5
TRAINING AND EDUCATION 9
Coordination of Scheduling and Data Collection 9
Types of Training. 10
Evaluation. 11
SURVEILLANCE 11
Passive Surveillance involves the analysis of existing records and data.
12
Active Surveillance 13
ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF JOBS 13
Job Analysis 13
Design of Jobs. 16
MEDICAL MANAGEMENT 17
Accessibility 18
Health Surveillance. 18
Identification of Restricted-Duty Jobs 18
Medical Intervention. 18
Record-keeping, Data Evaluation, and Action. 19
Original sources, used in the work 20
INTRODUCTION
This document contains the information needed to carry out an
ergonomics program. Specifically, it provides information on the goal,
objectives, and principles of the program and the responsibilities of
staff, management, support offices, and service unit ergonomics teams for
the program.
Vision
The Workplace Ergonomics Program was established to optimize worker health,
safety, and productivity, and minimize physiological and psychological
stress utilizing consultative management.
Goal
The goal of the Workplace Ergonomics Program is to reduce and/or prevent
work-related injuries and illnesses by establishing a methodology for
identifying ergonomic stressors in the workplace and for implementing
appropriate interventions.
Objectives
The objectives of the Workplace Ergonomics Program, as administered by the
Workplace Ergonomics Program Coordinating Committee, are:
1. To identify existing and potential conditions in the workplace that
could lead to injuries and illnesses.
2. To reduce and/or eliminate exposures to such conditions through
effective workstation and tool design and through proper work methods.
3. To ensure evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of repetitive strain
disorders, and to provide avenues for prevention.
4. To ensure that staff are sufficiently informed about ergonomic hazards
to which they are exposed so they may actively participate in their own
personal protection through training and education.
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
Management Commitment and Employee Involvement
Management commitment and employee involvement are crucial to the
success of the ergonomics program. Management commitment is demonstrated
by the provision of organizational resources and the assignment of
accountability for the program. Employee involvement is necessary not only
for identifying existing and potential hazards, but also for participating
in their own personal protection.
Management commitment provides visible involvement of managers at all
levels. It places a high priority on eliminating ergonomic stressors while
assigning and communicating the responsibilities for various aspects of the
program and requiring accountability for fulfilling those responsibilities
in
a timely manner. Management provides authority and adequate resources to
meet the assigned responsibilities.
Employee involvement can be achieved through the implementation of an
employee complaint/suggestion procedure; encouraging early reporting of
injury/illness symptoms; involvement in the consultative management process
associated with this program; and training for active participation in
their own personal protection.
Below is a partial list of actions to be undertaken to achieve
management commitment and employee involvement:
Require that all affected employees, including their supervisors and
managers, take ergonomics training.
Include statement of responsibility for safe and healthful work
environments and policy directives.
Inform service unit heads that they are to assign responsibilities for
program implementation to service unit ergonomics teams and other
administrative personnel, as appropriate, and provide staffing and
financial resources for implementation.
Hold service unit heads accountable for the progress of the program in
their service unit.
Provide suggestion/complaint boxes for ergonomic safety/health issues
within each service unit. Require a response to each suggestion/complaint.
Encourage staff to report symptoms of discomfort promptly to supervisor,
health professional, or service unit ergonomics team.
Include bargaining unit staff in service unit ergonomics teams.
Issue memorandum to staff announcing the program.
Distribute summaries of this program document to all staff via "The
Gazette" and service unit distribution channels.
Program Review and Evaluation
The Workplace Ergonomics Program shall be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
The Workplace Ergonomics Program Coordinating Committee is responsible for
developing a program evaluation mechanism, and producing progress reports
for management and staff.
Further, the Workplace Ergonomics Program Coordinating Committee
meets periodically throughout each year with service unit ergonomics team
leaders to assess progress. This mechanism assures that WEPCC provides the
needed support to the service unit teams.
Responsibilities
Workplace Ergonomics Program Coordinating Committee is responsible for
overseeing, coordinating, supporting, and reviewing the ergonomics process.
The responsibilities are:
Establishing performance expectations and benchmarks in consultation with
the service unit ergonomics teams
Coordinating problem resolution in areas that affect more than one service
unit
Providing assistance and advice on technical matters to service unit
ergonomics teams
Reviewing program and reporting to management and staff
Service unit ergonomics team bears responsibility for operating the
Workplace Ergonomics Program within the service unit. The team is
specifically responsible for:
Performing surveillance, analysis and design of jobs
Identifying specific training needs
Coordinating its activities with Facility Design and Construction, Health
Services Office, Safety Services and labor organizations. Reporting to the
WEPCC and to the service unit head
Supervisors are responsible for:
Cooperating with the service unit ergonomics team
Referring employees with health concerns to Health Services in a timely
manner
Reporting work area hazards promptly to the service unit ergonomics team
Notifying the service unit ergonomics team when a work area needs analysis
Assisting in the correction of existing and potential hazards
Assuring that recommendations are implemented following analysis
Staff members are responsible for:
Reporting work area hazards upon becoming aware of their existence
Providing input to job analysis and design process
Actively engaging in their own protection by following recommended work
practices and suggestions of work area consultants
Labor organizations are responsible for:
Appointing a representative to each service unit ergonomics team
Encouraging early reporting of symptoms by employees and referring those
employees to appropriate offices
Bringing ergonomic problems and potential problems to the attention of the
service unit ergonomics teams and other responsible officials
Facility Design and Construction (FD&C) is responsible for design and
layout of work areas to assure compliance with applicable standards. FD&C
staff participate in job analysis on an as-needed basis. Where ergonomic
interventions are required, FD&C provides advice and assistance to the
service unit ergonomic teams to identify the best possible solution. FD&C
maintains information on ergonomically-correct furnishings and equipment.
FD&C is also responsible for:
Advising as to feasibility of adjustments to existing furniture
Identifying adjustments to furnishings that can be made by the user
Identifying adjustments requiring professional installers -- Reviewing
requests for service for workstation modifications, including preparing
drawings and scheduling installers as necessary
Helping in the selection of ergonomic furniture/accessories requiring
purchase, including review of all purchase requisitions
Health Services Office is responsible for the medical surveillance
element of the Workplace Ergonomics Program. The Health Services Office
serves as a consultant to the WEPCC and service unit ergonomics teams,
providing instruction in the prevention, early recognition, evaluation,
treatment, and rehabilitation of repetitive strain disorders.
The Health Services staff assesses presenting signs and symptoms and,
based on findings, directs follow-up analysis and/or treatment. Within
staffing constraints, the Health Services Office's responsibilities
include:
Recognizing employee injury/illness problems with ergonomic influence
Participating in ergonomic evaluations of work
Identifying restricted-duty jobs
Performing periodic walkthroughs with service unit ergonomics teams
Providing wellness education initiatives
Analyzing health surveillance data and evaluating results -- Reporting
findings and recommendations
Participating in the development of interventions and reevaluating
previous actions
Safety Services provides support to the WEPCC and service unit
ergonomics teams in the areas of safety, mishap/injury prevention,
industrial hygiene, environmental health, and emergency response. Within
limitations, influenced by availability of resources, Safety Services'
responsibilities are:
Reviewing injury reports for evidence of cumulative trauma injury
Compiling and reporting injury statistics related to injury cause factors
Disseminating general and specific job safety and health information
Providing expert advice and guidance in the field of safety evaluations
and ergonomic job analysis and design
Establishing and maintaining a hazard abatement program
Reviewing equipment acquisitions
Staff Training and Development Office (STDO): The Workplace Ergonomics
Program Coordinating Committee will coordinate with Staff Training and
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